Often Irreverent, Mostly Rational Blog for Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. One Day, We'll Be Perfect.

Monday, July 7, 2008

A messy pile of All Star thoughts

We wish that we had one coherent thought on the state of the Jays, but because the little nut that sits inside our skull is still a little frazzled from the past week, and because pondering the state of the Jays is such a sad excercise right now, we'll offer up one of our patented messy piles of whimsical statements which may or may not offer any insight.

There are Kiwis in your FuturesThe only representative of the Blue Jays system to be named to the rosters for the All Star Futures Game is New Zealand's Scott Campbell. The 23 year-old second baseman from the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats/Primaries has been a revelation this year, leading the team in OPS (.891), runs (48) and hits (95). He kinda seems like he slots into the Aaron Hill (MVP of the 2004 Futures Game, for whatever that's worth) mold of good-not-great offensive second baseman, and we hit our knees every night and pray to the baby jeebus that he'll continue to progress.

Speaking of the lone representativesFor the fifth time, Roy Halladay will represent the Jays in the All Star Game, and it seems appropriate that he's the only one getting the nod given that the rest of the team kinda sucks. Okay, if Shaun Marcum wasn't hurt, and if Scott Downs wasn't giving up as many walks, we could have imagined them making it. But aside from that, this is either a lousy team or a team having a lousy season.

But is there hope for the future?If nothing else, there are five members of the Fisher Cats/Primaries playing in a Double-A midseason sorta classic. Pitchers Brett Cecil and Zach Dials, catcher Brian Jeroloman, and The Great Big Giant Pasty White HopeTM Travis Snider will join Campbell and take the field in front of the home crowd at Merchantsauto.com Stadium for the Northeast Delta Dental Eastern League All-Star Game. (When you market it that way, it sounds so ultra fine doesn't it?)

Incidentally, while trying to find more info on Zach Dials, we came across his Facebook listing. And while we can't see anything more than him with his arm around some tart in a tube top at the TGIFriday's, we feel like we know him a little better already. Go Dials!

We're sure the Fisher Cats will commemorate this great event in Blue Jays minor league history by handing out bobblehead dolls of Jacoby Ellsbury performing unnatural acts on Rico Petrocelli, or maybe one of Dustin Pedroia shining Dwight Evans' shoes. Whatever makes the Red Sox Nation happy. Turncoats!